


Engaged For the Holidays

by TibbieTibbs



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Actress Rey, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Holidays, Inspired by Holiday Engagement (2011), Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers, Thanksgiving, Writer Ben, fake engagement, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27876189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TibbieTibbs/pseuds/TibbieTibbs
Summary: Ben Solo gets engaged, only for his fiancé to leave him just before he is due to head home for Thanksgiving. Rather than face parental disapproval and humiliation, he hires an actress to pose as his future wife.Inspired by the movie Holiday Engagement (2011)
Relationships: Bazine Netal/Ben Solo, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 39
Kudos: 96
Collections: Reylo Christmas Hallmark AU Collection





	1. Thanksgiving Plans

—————

  
**Thursday, November 19th**

The airy, well-decorated room was quiet, other than the quiet tapping of fingers on a keyboard. Ben Solo sat on his large bed, lounging against the headboard, with his laptop perched on his lap. His eyes flickered to the calendar, it was a week before Thanksgiving. The deadline had been weeks ago, and they should be announcing the winners of the writing contest any day now.

Ben was a writer, well - an aspiring writer. He was working on his first novel, and had left his respectable job working for his family to pursue his passion full-time. It was going a little slower than he expected, and so he had been freelancing at the local paper to build up this resume.

A few months ago there was a notice for a contest, the winner being featured in a prestigious magazine, along with tickets to their sister resort in Naboo. He wasn’t really thinking about the tickets, the real prize was the feature. Ben had spent days working on his submission, and was feeling proud of what he wrote. He just hoped it would be enough to win.

He had just taken a break, sat his laptop to the side and was getting up to grab a snack. As he headed toward the kitchen, he heard his phone rang from the besiege table. He sprinted back, reaching the phone just after the third ring.

“Hello?” A clear female voice rang out from the other end.

“Hello, is this Ben Solo?”

“Speaking.”

“Hi Ben, this is Jessika Pava from the _Dathomir Digest_. We wanted to tell you you’re a finalist in our contest.”

Ben couldn’t breathe. He made it to the finals. His work might be published in the _Dathomir Digest_ , one of the most-read magazines in the country.

“That is incredible, thank you so much.”

“Of course. We’ll be in touch soon!”

The line is dead before he can say goodbye. He sank down onto the bedspread, stunned. His phone rang again seconds later. Ben answered, this person he knew.

“Hey Babe, I heard back from the _Dathomir Digest_. They said I’m a finalist.” Ben said, by way of greeting, “I could be published! And we’d get tickets to Naboo. I thought we could use it for our honeymoon.”

“Naboo? We have waterfalls here, darling.” Bazine’s tone was clipped. Ben could hear traffic in the background, cars honking and the sounds of the city.

His phone beeped with a message, “One second, it’s my mother.”

He could hear her huff as he pulled up his messages.

“My mother wants to know if you like yams.” Ben had the phone pressed to his ear again, as he leaned against the bed.

“Yams? That’s not next week, is it?”

“Yes. Honey, that is traditionally Thanksgiving.” Ben gave a small laugh.

“Well I don’t know if I can do it now. I have three cases to research. I have a hearing-” Bazines voice was distracted, he wasn’t sure if she was listening.

“No, no, no, you are _not_ bailing on me again.” Ben had been sitting, but now he was on his feet, pacing. “I promised I would bring you home to meet my family, they are starting to think I made you up.”

“I’d have to bring work with me. Do they have Wi-Fi?”

“Of course, everyone has WIFI.”

“Fine. I gotta go - boss is calling.” Bazine hung up with a sharp click.

—————

**Saturday, November 21th**

“I’m a little freaked out that you picked this assignment. Couldn’t we have covered that little street fair?” Poe was following in Ben’s wake, as he weaved through the alleyway to the street. Poe was walking quickly, keeping up with Ben’s long stride.

“Poe, this is the real deal. These people, they lost their livelihoods, their savings, their homes. You should be hungry for a story like this.” Ben’s eyes flicked back to Poe’s, a disapproving look crossing his features.

Poe was unfazed, “Well buddy, it’s after 2:00, and all I’m hungry for is lunch. Lets eaaaat.”

“I can’t, I’m saving my appetite.” Ben shook his head, continuing down the sidewalk, “Bazine had a free evening and we’re going out to dinner.”

“Dude, that girl is a serious snag.”

“I know.” Ben smiled.

“Her online dating profile would be so perfect no one would believe it. ‘A tall, gorgeous lawyer who’s responsible and financially sound?’ Please!” Poe clapped Ben on the shoulder.

“And I finally have someone to take home for the holidays. I don’t have to listen to my mother preach to me about how I’m going to be a lonely bachelor my whole life.” Ben’s voice was a grumble, this has been a common conversation the last decade of his life.

They paused, looking down to the crosswalk at the end of the street. By the corner there was a mascot dressed in a cloth costume of a bottle of Blue Milk. They were holding an oversized white arrow pointing towards the storefront, with “ _Bubo Wamba Family Farms_ ” written in a bright blue font.

As they watched, the figure spun the sign high in the air, only to miss and drop it spectacularly at their feet.

“Oh wow.” Ben was cringing, watching the sign scrape across the ground as the figure tried to pick it up with thick white gloves.

“That’s just sad.” Poe shook his head, sympathetically.

“Well, at least they’re employed. That’s our first interview. Come on, let’s go.”

“Hi, excuse me.” Ben approached the mascot, who had picked up their sign. They had been facing towards the street and as they turned the huge sign crashed into Ben and Poe, knocking them off balance.

“Oh sorry, sorry.” The voice within the mascot was feminine, and she reached out to steady Ben, who had taken the brunt of the hit.

“It’s… it’s fine.” Ben rubbed his side, shooting Poe a look, “My name is Ben Solo, I’m with the _Hosnian Prime Herald_. Can I ask you a few questions?”

“Uh yeah, sure.”

“Is this your full-time job?”

“Uh, acting is my full-time job. Today I’m playing some Blue Milk.” There’s a hatch on the front of the mascot, and her hand reached up, ripping it open.

  
A girl’s face peeked out, the bun on the top of her head missed from being trapped in the costume. Her warm brown eyes peered up at Ben, one gloved hand blocking the afternoon sun. Freckles were scattered across her delicate nose, and she was smiling.

Behind them, Poe’s phone rang. He snatched it up, holding it to his ear, “Yeah? Aw crap, I knew it.”

Poe turned to Ben, “Come on, we’ve gotta go back to the office right now.”

“Why, what’s going on?” Ben had been still looking at the girl, but he was focused on Poe as he tried to drag him down the street. They didn’t notice the girl, following a few steps being them, curious about the sudden problem.

“The paper went bankrupt. It’s shutting down.” Poe’s annoyance was palpable, this was his full-time job.

“Why?”

They heard a voice from behind them, “Well, actually the readership of books, newspapers, and magazines had been on the Decline for years.”

“Blu Milk girl’s right.” Poe said, eyebrows raised, “Print’s dead.”

—————

After the disaster of an afternoon, Ben had rushed home to change for dinner. Bazine had made a reservation for that evening at _Bistro De Lothal_ , which served four-course Lothal-inspired dishes. The Bistro was more Bazine’s style than his (meaning _expensive_ ) but it had opened recently, and a lot of popular local clientele had been spotted there. He knew he had to make a good impression for his fiancé.

Ben arrived at the Bistro a few minutes early, dressed in his best pair of black slacks, a crisp white shirt, and dark maroon tie. He had been led through the dimly-lit restaurant to a candle-lit table for two. The table was tucked off to the side, but had a great view out the front bay windows. That had been 20 minutes ago, and he was beginning to regret declining Poe’s offer of lunch earlier.

Bazine breezed through the Bistro minutes later, swooping down to kiss one of his cheeks before settling in the chair across from him. She waited, somewhat patiently, as Ben filled her in on his afternoon.

“You don’t need that job. I mean; it’s not even a real job anyways right?” Bazine said, once he was done. Her perfectly styled head tilted slightly to the side, "It was just some part time thing. What does it matter?”

“I don’t know.” Ben reached for a bread roll, shoving half of it into this mouth. “Did you read the piece I did last month about the local pound?”

“Sure, Ben.” Bazine’s eyes were focused on her phone, she was firing off another email for work.

“We saved like, and 100 animals from being euthanized.”

She put her phone down next to her plate and looked at him bemusedly, “You know, when we’re married you’re not gonna have to work.”

“I want to work. I want to write.” Ben shook his head, annoyed. The thought of not working, just being a trophy husband to a lawyer was absurd to him. That’s not why he broke away from the family business, and ended up in a city an hour away from home.

“Fine”, Bazine said, placating, “You can busy yourself throwing benefits and fundraisers for every single rescue, kennel, and petting zoo in a 100-mile radius of Coruscant, and writing all about it.

“Just don’t bring them home. You know I can’t stand dogs.” She suppressed a shiver, her nose wrinkled at the thought.

“Coruscant?” Ben looked up from the menu, confused, “But that’s across the country.”

Bazine’s eyes sparkled, finally giving Ben her full attention. Her voice was low and excited, “A new VP position opened up in our Coruscant office, and I guarantee I am the top pick for the position.

“Why? Because I have my priorities straight, and I am ruthless, and Snoke knows it.”

She crossed her slender arms over her perfectly-tailored blazer, “I have proven to him time and time again that I’m not afraid to make the tough decisions, and that’s what brings the money in.”

“I-... so if you get this promotion” Ben blinked, words forming slowly. He felt like his brain had turned to mush, everything was fuzzy and didn’t quite make sense.

“Which I will-”

“We’ll be moving to... Coruscant?”

“Yes, why not? That’s where the money is.” Bazine raised an eyebrow, challenging.

“Because all of our friends are here….” Ben said slowly, “My family’s here, we have a life here. What am I gonna do in Coruscant?”

Bazine smiled and held out her hand, reaching for his, “Be my husband.”

“You’re such a good lawyer. I’m sure there will be other promotions, right?” Ben smiled, wrapping his large hand around hers. “I mean, maybe something a little closer to home?”

Her phone rings and she drops his hand. She glanced down at the screen, “I have to get this.”

She was already heading out the side door, phone to her ear, “Mr. Snoke, yes, I’ve already looked it over and you can consider it done.”

Ben watched her pace outside in the chilly night air, their dinner already forgotten. When the waiter stopped by to refill their drinks, he asked if they could get their food to-go.

—————

  
  
**Sunday, November 22th**

The next day passed in a blur, Ben had spent his afternoon and evening divided between looking for new freelancing opportunities, and working on the first draft of his novel.

He glanced up for the first time in hours and saw it had become late in the evening. He had a missed text from Bazine, who also seemed to be working late.

Although his eyes were tired after a long day of staring at screens, Ben stayed up a little longer to see if Bazine texted that she got home safely. After another half-hour passed with no response, he reluctantly got up. He took his time going through his nighttime routine of a shower, brushing his teeth, and washing his face.

When there was still no response, he sighed and called it a night. It took a while to fall asleep, Ben eventually drifted off, never noticing that his phone had stayed completely silent.

—————

**Monday, November 23th**

Bazine had met Ben at noon downtown, near a cafe they often went to for lunch. He had taken the bus for convenience, because _fuck_ finding downtown parking at this time of day, and watched as her car pulled up to the parking meter.

He helped her out of the car, and they started to head down the sidewalk towards the restaurant.

“I was thinking we should set a date, now that I’m not working,” Ben offered, wrapping a long arm around Bazine’s waist, “I have time to help out a lot more. I started working on a guest list last night. I have a few old college friends I’ve been thinking-“

He paused, mid-step. Bazine had shrugged out of his grip and was standing stock still on the sidewalk.

“I don’t think this is gonna work.” Her voice was soft, but her eyes were empty and flat.

His eyebrows crinkled, “Okay, we can forget the college-”

“ _Us_ , Ben” Bazine interrupted, firmly. “I don’t think we’re gonna work.”

“What?” His eyes searched hers, not understanding.

“Look. I need a partner in life, a husband who is going to go where I need to go, and do what I need to do and be excited about my accomplishments.”

She sounded impatient now, frustrated that she had to explain, “I can’t get dragged down by somebody who’s out saving dogs and cats and god knows what else.”

Ben took a step towards her, pleading, “Bazine, is this about moving to Coruscant? I can try-“

She shook her head pityingly, “I need to stay mobile and focused to advance in my career. I’ve got to keep my priorities straight. Believe me, this is one of those tough decisions, but I’ve thought a lot about it, and it’s for the best.”

She took a deep breath, the next words coming out firm and practiced.

“I can’t make a mistake, Ben. Not now.”

Ben’s head swam as he processed her words. They were supposed to be planning a wedding, not breaking up. And what did she mean, that she had been thinking about it a lot? Was she planning this?

“When did I become a mistake?” His voice cracked despite his best efforts, his vision starting to blur.

She had no answer, she wouldn’t even look him in the eye. The silence was interrupted by a cheerful jingle, and she glanced down at the screen.

“I have to get this.” She had already turned, and was walking back down the street towards her car.

Ben blinked and his chest felt impossibly tight. The aching feeling of despair crashed over him like an ocean wave, leaving him feeling lost. He was left alone and forgotten on the sidewalk, as he watched his future walk away without a backwards glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited to be part of the Reylo Christmas Hallmark AU Collection! Thanks for reading!
> 
> [And check me out on Twitter here!](https://mobile.twitter.com/tibbietibbs)


	2. Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe hatches a plan, which ends up involving a familiar face.

**Chapter 2**

**Monday, November 23th**

“She’s a jerk. I knew she was too good to be true.” Poe was stretched out on Ben’s couch. It was later that same evening, and he had rushed over right away with snacks and beer when Ben had texted him what happened. 

“Maybe my mother was right, maybe I let her keep one foot out the door. We haven’t been seeing each other as much, but I just thought it was work.” Ben was sitting at his desk, his head cradled in his hands, “Oh god- oh, now I have to go and listen to her go on and on about how she’s always right and I’m always gonna be alone.”

“Maybe she just got cold feet.” Poe took a long draw from the beer they had cracked open. 

“You think?” Ben looked up, hopefully. 

Poe shrugged, “I don’t know… would you even still want her if she came back?”

“I, I don’t know….” They were interrupted by Ben’s phone, which signaled an incoming call. He accepted the call and held the phone to his ear, “Hello?” 

“Hi Ben, this is Jessika from the _Dathomir Digest._ We’re excited to tell you that you won the contest!” 

“Oh wow, really?” For a moment, Ben forgot everything. He just won! His work would be published. This was incredible news, he had been waiting and hoping for weeks. 

“Yes! We emailed all the details to you, and your ticket vouchers, but we wanted to call, too.”

“That is great, thank you so much.” They exchanged goodbyes and the call ended. Ben made a mental note to check his email soon to confirm. 

“Oh my god, you won!” Poe was shouting in the background. 

“Oh my god, I won… a ticket for two to paradise right after I got _dumped_.” Realization came crashing back in, and Ben’s win had already been forgotten, “And unless I can fix that, next week will be a nightmare.”

Poe got to his feet and paced through the living room, “Is that it? Is that what would make you happy right now, to bring home a lady for Thanksgiving? 

“I just can’t go home all alone. I just can’t face it.” Ben swiped a hand over his face, “I can’t do it, not now.”

Ben’s phone rang again. He could see it was Leia and clicked the button to send it to voicemail. A silence fell over the room, Ben ran a hand through his hair while Poe gripped the edge of the desk, thinking. After a moment, a smile spread over his face and he snapped his fingers.

“I got it.” He was walking over to the desk, bumping Ben out of the way to reach his laptop. 

“I used this dating site a few years ago - _before Finn_ ,” he clarified, “where you can upload a video instead of filling out a profile.” 

Poe was already typing away at a Word document, “it’s more personal that way. You can use my old account. All you have to do is read this for your intro video, and _voilà_.”

Ben frowned and glanced over his friend's shoulder as he read the message out loud, “‘Fake fiancé needed for Thanksgiving Dinner. Must be mother-friendly. Two first class tickets to Naboo for services rendered.’”

He shook his head, “No, I’m not giving away my tickets.”

“What, are you going to honeymoon _alone_?” Poe looked at him, eyebrows raised. 

“No,” Ben’s reply was sheepish, “I thought maybe you’d come with me.”

“Yeah, okay, and sit around and watch you cry over too many margaritas? _No thanks_.” 

Ben’s phone rings again, and he glanced at the screen before clicking it to voicemail.

When it had finished recording, he put it on speaker while he thought over Poe’s proposal. His mother’s voice filled the room, _“Ben, I just wanted you to know I’ve planned a small family gathering at the house.”_

“ _What_?” Ben groans, slumping in his seat. 

_“For when you and Bazine arrive. I just hope we won’t be disappointed again. Luke cancelled his trip to Ahch-To to be here, and Chewie is coming, and everyone is so excited to meet this elusive fiance of yours. Does Bazine prefer dark meat or white meat? I hope dark, seeing as your Father and Chewie prefer white. That would make a nice balance.”_

Ben sighed and closed his eyes, “Do it.”

 _“But of course, if she prefers white, she’s welcome to my share, although it would be polite…”_ He took the phone off speaker, he had heard enough. He was going to have to give this a shot, or he’d never hear the end of it. ‘

\-----

“Uh, hi. I’m Ben, and I, uh, just got dumped yesterday, less than 24 hours ago, so uh, you can imagine I’m kind of… a mess”, Ben was trying his best to reign in his emotions, but was failing, “and I must be out of my _mind_ for doing this, but well, here I am.”

“Cut, cut, cut cut! _Ben_!” Poe groaned, cancelling the recording, “That was god awful.”

“I just want something to work out.” Ben sighs, resting his head on the table.

“Let’s take it from the top.” Poe clicked the ‘Record’ button again. 

“Heya, I’m Ben. I just got _dumped_ -” 

“Cut! When have you ever said ‘Heya’?” Poe groaned, starting the recording over. 

They kept trying a variety of recordings, each one progressively getting worse as the evening went on. They were on their 5th or 6th video when Ben was ready to call it a night and quit. 

“Hi, I’m Ben and I need to find a woman for Thanksgiving. I need one so bad that I will do anything, _anything_ to find one. Call me.”

“Ugh, that was so creepy. I got the shivers.” Poe was shaking his head in disgust, he had already deleted that version. He paused for a moment, and looked at Ben, “I think this will really work, buddy. Please give it a real shot.”

Ben raised his eyebrow and mulled it over in his head. He called his friend in a moment of panic, and here he was, trying to bail him out. The least he could do was try. Ben looked at the camera, took in a deep breath, and tried again. 

“Hi, my name is Ben, and although this may seem a little crazy- okay, a _lot_ crazy, I need to hire a fake fiance to bring home to my family for Thanksgiving. In return, you will receive two free first class tickets to Naboo. So just record a quick video intro, post it to this page, and we'll get back to you.”

“How was that?” Ben looked at Poe, a small but hopeful smile on his face. 

Poe was already smiling, “Really good.” 

They looked at each other, nodded, and then clicked ‘Post Video’. 

\-----

**Tuesday, November 24th**

Ben woke early the next morning, and shuffled to the kitchen to make his morning coffee. As the coffee was brewing, he figured he might as well check the website and see if they got any replies. His surprised shout woke Poe up from where he had crashed on the couch the night before.

“Wha-?” Poe lifted his head, hair mussed and bleary-eyed. 

“I can’t believe it.” Ben had pulled up the page, and there were dozens of unopened messages and several video responses.

“Yes! I knew it would work!” Poe punched the air. 

“Look at all of these…” Ben shook his head, grabbing two coffee cups and filling them up. They both took a sip before opening the first video. 

“It’s so fucking hard to find dates these days. Where the fuck do you even look? I’ve tried restaurants, cafes, and bars. Christ, I’ve gone through four husbands and it’s just not like it used to be.”

Ben and Poe glanced at each other, and Ben shook his head. They clicked the next one. 

“To be honest, I don’t even like men. I just really want to go to Naboo. I need a holiday.” 

“She’s cute, plus no complications.” Poe offered, diplomatically.

“I don’t know… let’s keep looking.” Ben clicked on the next one. 

They watched through the rest of the videos together, and none seemed like a good fit. Frustrated, Ben stood and paced through his apartment, running and hand through his hair, “I knew this was a bad idea.”

“Hey, what about Qi’ra, she was alright.” Poe was clicking through messages, scanning them quickly before making notes on a pad. 

“She said she was _married_.” 

“Okay, what about Phasma?” Poe crossed a few names out, looking down the list. 

“She was too intense, my mother would never believe we’re dating.” 

Poe glanced at the screen, expression brightening, “Oh, we just got another request for a live chat. Should I say yes?”

“ _No_.” Ben drew the word out to three syllables, shaking his head. 

It was too late, Poe had hit the “accept” but on the chat. A feminine voice crackled from the laptop speakers, “Uh, hello, Ben?” 

“No, I’m Poe.” Poe smiled and waved, “Just hang on one sec.”

“Hey! Come over here!” He whisper-yelled from his seat, gesturing with his hand. 

“No!” Ben shook his head again. 

“Just talk to her! She’s cute.” Poe crossed the room now, shoving the laptop on Ben’s face.

“Hello! How are you?” Rey said cheerily, waving at both of them. A video chat window had popped up. She seemed to be seated outside, the background was blurry with the bad connection. Poe was right, Ben decided, she _was_ cute. 

“We’re great.” Poe said, equally cheerily, “Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?”

“Oh, okay. My name is Rey Niima, I’m an actress-“

“Ooh, that’s perfect.” Poe elbowed Ben in the side. 

“I’m 22 years old, and I’m an Aries, if that matters.” Rey shrugged, hands clasped together. 

“Hey wait, I know you.” Ben’s eyes were narrowed in recognition, “You’re the Blue Milk girl, from the other day.”

“Yeah, that’s me! And you’re the reporter and the photographer. I recognized you in the video.” 

“Yeah.” They all sat for a moment in silence, thinking that over. 

Rey spoke first, “I was uh, sorry to hear about the newspaper shutting down. Did you lose your job or-?”

“What do you think?” Ben asked dryly. 

“Right, sorry. Obvious.” Her smile was sheepish, Uh, for what’s it’s worth, I got fired playing a big Blue Milk so... ”

“Oh uh, I’m sorry.” Ben rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. 

“Don’t be. You could help me save my very last shred of dignity.” Rey shrugged, a shy smile on her face, “I mean, if I can’t book a job playing a fake fiance for a weekend, I probably should call it quits.”

“Well, I warn you, hanging out with my family for the weekend isn’t easy. But it comes with a free turkey dinner, and two tickets to Naboo, so if you’re still interested…” Ben offered, words trailing off. 

She flashed double thumbs up, “Definitely. Sign me up.”

“Great, okay. Well, um, I guess that’s that” Ben glanced at Poe, who nodded. 

“Are you free to meet Ben later today, face to face?” Poe leaned, getting into the frame. 

“Sure thing.” 

They set up a time to meet and said their goodbyes, and Ben closed his laptop. Poe looked at him, eyebrows raised. 

“She was great, wasn’t she?”

Ben seemed a little more convinced, but still wary, “I guess we will find out.”

\-----

A couple hours later, Ben found himself outside the coffee shop Rey had suggested. He had cleaned up and showered, and was already feeling a little anxious about meeting this stranger. Poe had insisted on meeting him there, probably knowing that there was a chance Ben would bolt. 

As Ben glanced at this watch, he saw Poe round the corner. They had split up a few hours ago, Poe wanted to go home first after crashing at Ben’s the night before. “Ready?” Poe clapped Ben on the shoulder, already steering him inside, “We’re early, let’s grab a coffee first.”

The coffee shop was neat and tidy, but small. There were a few patrons seated towards the back of the little cafe, and they walked towards the front counter to order. 

“Hey, so, okay, I Spacebooked her. She hasn’t responded, and when you google her, the only thing that comes up are a few photos on Imgur with some dude named Hugs on a beach.” Poe explained, trailing behind Ben, “So, looks like she’s not crazy or anything, she’s just another out-of-work actress.”

As they reached the counter they looked up, Rey was looking at them from behind the counter with her eyebrows raised. 

“Wow, you sound like my agent!” She was smiling politely, but her eyes were sharp, “And it’s ‘Hux’ not ‘Hugs’.”

“Oh…uh, boyfriend?” Poe’s face reddened. 

“Ex.” Rey looked between the two of them, arms crossed over her chest. Ben couldn’t look her in the eye, he was mortified that they had been overheard. 

“Uhm, well you two have fun.” Poe waved, already making for the door. 

“Great. Byeee.” Rey waved sardonically after him, “So, uh, I guess I checked out?”

“Yeah, seems like it.” They eyed each other. 

“So… uh… tomorrow’s the big day?” Rey asked, after a moment of silence.

“Ah, yes. It will be from tomorrow evening until Sunday, if that works for you.”

“It should, I work tomorrow morning but I am off at noon. I can switch some shifts around this afternoon.” She paused, thinking, “So, what’s your ex’s name?”

“Oh, right. Uh, it’s Bazine.” Ben shook his head at himself, he forgot that this girl knew nothing about him. Maybe they should have discussed the details better this morning. 

“Bazine.” Rey repeated, “And what does she do? Professionally?”

“She’s a lawyer.” 

Rey was putting together a vision in her head, “Do you think Bazine is more of a corporate lawyer type, or-” 

“Corporate.” Ben answered quickly, “What kind of car do you drive?” 

“Uh, a ‘98 Jeep Grand Cherokee, fully loaded.” She leaned on the counter, pointing to a car parked outside. 

Ben gave it a once-over from his spot, “We’ll take my car.”

“You know…” Rey tapped a lip after a moment, thinking, “I always did better as a method actor. Are you free later today?”

“Well, I’m not employed so…” Ben leaned against the counter.

“Great! I am out of here this afternoon. Maybe I can stop by your place, and you can run me through your life story.” She was smiling, like it was a fun challenge for her. 

“Yeah, okay, that sounds good.” He nodded, taking the number she had scribbled down on a napkin. “Just text me your number and address.” Her phone beeped as he sent the info over. 

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later today.” Ben hovered for a second, trying to remember if he forgot anything. 

“Sounds good.” Rey 

“Okay.” He walked towards the door but turned back, “Do you uh, have any clothes that aren’t coffee-stained or... shaped like a giant milk costume?” 

He cringed, noting how dickish his request sounded. 

“Oh, uh, definitely.” Rey smirked, taking it in stride. 

She paused before throwing a barb back at him, “I’ll take care of it. As long as you take care of that.” She pointed to his beard. He hadn’t shaved in days, a dusting of facial hair covered his upper lip and jaw. Ben thought it made him look distinguished, but judging by her request... maybe not.

“Fine, deal. See you later.” 

\-----  
  
  


Ben had cleaned his apartment twice so far that afternoon, periodically glancing at his phone for a text from Rey. She had texted an hour ago that she was off work, but had not said when she’d be there.

A beep signaled from his phone just a bit later, noting that Rey had left and was on her way. Ben paced the room for what felt like the hundredth time in the past 24 hours. He sprinted across his apartment when he heard the knock at the door twenty minutes later.

Rey stood on the doorstep, arms laden with bags of takeout, “Hey! I’m starved. Ok if I brought us dinner?”

He paused, dumbfounded. After a moment, he moved to let her past him with a, “Yeah, sure.”

Ben couldn’t remember the last time someone had brought him dinner, he was always running takeout to Bazine, or going out to dinner together. She was always too busy to bring anything over to him. Not that it was per fault, she worked more hours in a week than he did.

She sat the bags down on the kitchen island, “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a variety.”

Ben recognized the logo on the bag, it was from a Thai place that was a couple streets over. Poe had actually recommended it to him, but he hadn’t gone yet. 

“Thanks, I heard this place was great.” Ben glanced in the bag, reaching for a set of wrapped silverware and a container of Ginger Stir Fry and rice. 

“It is!” Rey was digging around for some utensils for her container of Pad Thai, “My friend goes here all the time.” 

They sat together at the kitchen island while Ben pulled out his laptop. He wasn’t on social media, something Rey ribbed him about immediately, but he navigated to his mother’s Spacebook page and pulled it up.

“So these are my parents - Senator Leia Organa-Solo, and my father, Han Solo.” Ben clicked on a page. 

Rey gulped, “Senator Organa-Solo is your mom?”

“Yes, is that a problem?” Ben glanced at her, worried.

“Oh nope,” Rey’s voice was high, “Just didn’t realize... I’m a big fan.”

Ben glanced at her again from the corner of his eye, and moved on to the next family members, explaining to her about his uncle Luke and uncle Chewie.

“He’s not really related, but he might as well be. He’s my godfather.” Ben showed her a photo of Chewbacca on a snowy mountain, wrapped up in layers and sporting a bushy brown beard.

Rey was smiling, examining each photo as Ben clicked on them, mentioning a family fact or pointing out where it was taken. 

“Your family sounds great.” Her voice was soft and warm, “Is that everyone that will be there?”

“It should be - that’s everyone my mother mentioned.” Ben finished off his container and went back for a spring roll.

“Okay… so what about you and Bazine?” Rey turned in her chair so that she was facing him. 

“Uh..” Ben’s hands were a little clammy, he knew they had to talk about this but he hadn’t been looking forward to it. He wiped his hands nervously on his jeans. 

“Just tell me a few things.” Her hand reached out cautiously to pat his arm in reassurance.

It felt like a jolt of electricity crackled underneath his skin as her hand brushed his forearm, “We uh, were engaged. We dated for seven months, I proposed, and we were engaged for two.” 

“That must have been really hard.” She said sympathetically, “What should I know about her that your parents might ask about?”

“This sounds bad,” Ben cautioned, “but I haven’t said a lot about her to my parents yet. They know we’re engaged, but they’ve never met. Uh, obviously.”

“It might sound bad, but it works in our favor.” Rey mused, running a finger over his lip in concentration. 

“We’re… we’re not as close as we used to be.” Ben rushed to explain. “I used to work with my dad, but I wanted to try something new, and I left. It’s been rocky for the past year or so. And my mother really wanted me to get married, and-”

He sighed, shoulders slumping, “And I am sorry to drag you into this, you seem like a nice girl, but I _really_ just need to get through the next couple days.”

Rey’s eyes were on him, and she smiled gently, “Then this will be my best performance yet. And you didn’t drag me into this, I messaged you first.”

He looked up, and their eyes met. She grew serious, grabbing his hand, “We can do this.”

Ben’s smile is small, but he nodded as his hand closed around hers, “You sound like Poe. Okay, let’s do it.”

Rey glanced at her phone before standing up, they had been talking for hours, “Wow, it’s late, I should head out. I open tomorrow morning. But I feel like I got all this down.”

Ben stood as well, following her slowly over to the door, “So I should pick you up tomorrow? 3 o’clock?”

“Yeah, that sounds perfect.” Rey smiles, “I’ll be packed and ready.”

“Great, see you tomorrow, then.” Ben offers awkwardly, he was never good at goodbyes, “And um, thank you, Rey.”

“See you,” She waved, turning for a last look at Ben as she ducked out the doors, “And don’t thank me until Sunday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun making the images for this chapter - if you've seen the movie you'll have to let me know if I got the dating site right, it looks so funny in the original! Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Turkey Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey meets the family.

**Wednesday, November 30th**

Ben was early. Thirty minutes early, to be exact. Although it was only 2:30, he had been up for hours, unable to sleep. Everything that could possibly go wrong had flashed through his mind like the ancient View-Master he had received from his Uncle Luke on his fifth birthday. 

He sucked in a deep breath, thumbs smoothing over the wheel of his car. He had been plagued with a nagging feeling since last night, but couldn’t place his finger on it. _It will be fine. It will be fine._ He repeated this phrase like a mantra until he felt calm again. Rey was smart, you could tell that right away. They’d figure this out.

Fifteen minutes later, he watched a pretty girl exit the bus, a small suitcase and purse clutched in her hand. She wore a tasteful cream sweater, setting off her sun-kissed skin and dark, effortlessly curled hair. She glanced down at the gold watch on her wrist, before scanning the street around her. He watched the woman for a moment before he blinked in surprise - that was _Rey._

She spotted his car and a smile lit up her face. She adjusted her bags carefully before heading his way. Ben scrambled out of his car, his long legs reaching the passenger door a moment before she did. He opened it for her, taking her bags to put in the trunk.

“You, uh, clean up real good.” Ben welcomed her, intelligently.

Her answering smile was amused, “Thank you, you look nice yourself.”

He huffed out a laugh, helping her into the car, and closing the door behind her. Buckling himself in, he merged into traffic, and made his way to the highway that would lead to his parent’s house. They drive in silence for a while, until Rey couldn't take it anymore, and leaned across the console to fiddle with the stations. She landed on a 90s Pop station, laughing when they played a song she liked. Her laugh is so infectious, Ben couldn't help but smile as well.

“So, how are you feeling about today?” He ventured, after a few more songs.

“I feel fine, I think it’s going to be great.” Rey glanced at him, tearing her eyes from the window.

“I think so too. Do you feel you have everyone’s names down?”

“Oh yeah, don’t worry about that. I’m a quick study and I never forget a face.” She took a sip from the water bottle stashed in her purse. 

Her easy confidence eases Ben’s mind, enough that his shoulders finally start to droop from their position up near his ears.

“That’s great, they will all be at the party this evening.”

“Party?” His eyes glanced her way, she had choked on her water.

“Yes, I didn’t mention that?” Ben rewinds through their past conversations. Oops, he had not. He rushed to smooth it over, “It’s really no big deal, just some family and friends.”

Rey eyed him, giving him a slow nod. She seemed to be thinking about something, and asked hesitantly, “I forgot to ask about extended family - will your Grandparents be there?”

Ben looked sideways at her, thinking before replying carefully, “They will not - they passed a long time ago.”

“Oh, I am sorry.” Her apology was genuine, just like everything else about her.

“Don’t be, not your fault. Like I said, a long time ago. I never met them.” His voice was a little gruff, and Rey hesitated again. 

“Will you… tell me about them?”

He thought for a moment, and then nodded, “Well, a lot of what I know is from my Mother and Luke. They never met my Grandma Padmé - Grandma Paddie, they called her - she died giving birth to them.”

Rey’s hand covered her mouth in sympathy, “Oh Ben.”

“It’s okay”, he insisted, “My mother said she was very beautiful, and kind. My Mom and Uncle have a close family friend, Obi-Wan, who was good friends with her. He’s sort of like my great-uncle. He said she used to look just like a Princess, always so dressed up. She was always in beautiful dresses and jewelry. My mother kept all of them, I think she was disappointed when she found out she was having a son that would never wear them.”

“They even called her that - _Princess_ \- but of course she wasn’t, really.” Ben smiled at the memory of the stories he used to hear, growing up. 

Then, he sobered, “My Grandfather, Anakin, was a troubled man. He passed after my Grandmother, but my parents and Uncle don’t talk about him much. He reconciled with my Uncle before he passed, but my mother...”

He trailed off and concluded with a half-hearted shrug. A silence fell over the car again, but it felt less awkward than it should be. They were both thinking about family and how complicated they could be.

“Is it weird… that even though I’m pretending,” Rey’s voice was quiet, he can barely hear her over the music, “That I still hope that they like me?”

Ben’s hand, tentative, reached out and brushed her forearm, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. Her skin was warm and soft, he half expected her to pull away, but she seemed comforted. “They will.”

All too soon, they were pulling off the highway and taking the backroads to the Solo family residence. Ben weaved through the roads with a practiced ease, before pulling down the long, gated driveway to a beautiful mid-century styled home. He killed the engine, glancing at Rey.

“Okay, we’re here. Just remember, say as little as possible.”

Her warm brown eyes met his, and she nodded resolutely. She plastered a bright smile on her face as she reached for the car door at the same time as Ben reached for his. As soon as they step out, the front door flew open with a bang. 

“Oh honey!” A middle-aged woman, bright-eyed and hair wrapped around her head in an intricate braid, raced down the steps towards them. “Honey, you’re finally here!”

Her arms, just as strong as ever, reached around Ben’s middle, crushing him to her. She released him after a moment, turning a welcoming smile Rey’s way, “And we finally get to meet the elusive Bazine.”

Before Rey can respond, she was wrapped in an equally bone-crushing hug. She seemed immediately charmed by Ben’s mother, and returned the hug with a smile.

“This is my mother, Leia.” Ben offered when his mother finally let Rey go.”

“Pleased to meet you, Senator Organa-Solo. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh sweetie, you’re practically part of the family now. ‘Leia’ is just fine.” Leia smiled, pleased by Rey’s response, and patted her motherly on the arm. 

“Let’s get inside you two, it’s freezing out here.” She ushered them inside the front door, pushing them into the crowd of people.

Ben’s smile wavered, and he bent to hiss in his mother’s ear, “Oh my god, _mother_ , I thought you said this was going to be small.”

“Well, I didn’t want the whole town to think you were going to be single forever.” Leia hissed back, unperturbed by Ben’s obvious annoyance. She turned to the crowd, throwing an arm out to loop around Rey’s shoulders.

“Everyone’s this is Ben’s fiancé, Bazine!”

A dozen or so sets of eyes landed on them, scattered throughout the room. Ben and Rey both waved, a little awkwardly, before they were pushed into the crowd. Ben sucked in a breath, before diving into a flurry of introductions. One of the first to reach them is a pretty woman, dressed in a festive lilac dress with equally lilac hair. 

“Uh, Bazine,” Ben started, hesitating almost a moment too long as he stumbled over the name, “This is Amilyn Holdo. She was my mother’s roommate at Alderaan University.”

“So great to meet you Bazine,” Amilyn gripped her hand, “Leia has talked about nothing else for months.” 

Rey smiled kindly before Ben was steering her towards the person next to her. He went through the room quickly, Rey shaking hands and smiling, never missing a beat. She shook hands with Rose and Paige, sisters who had grown up living next door to him. She laughed at a joke by Chewbacca, an old family friend, who had been named Ben’s Godfather. And she had even kept up with a conversation his Uncle Luke was having with his friend Wedge, covering the local Podracing teams. Ben had to admit, she was _good_. 

By the time they made it to the other side of the room, Ben’s face ached from all the smiles. They both sighed in relief when they reached the last section of the room, near the television. 

“So Rey - you’re with that firm that’s defending Palpatine.”, they had been talking to a family friend, Lando Calrissian, for a few minutes now. 

Rey’s eyes bounced to Ben for a moment before she smiled, “Uh, Palpatine?”

“Yeah. He’s as guilty as they come if you ask me.” Lando shook his head somberly, “Taking all those people’s life savings.” 

“You know, Lando,” A voice interrupted them from the recliner behind Lando, “I think that everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty. Isn’t that right, Bazine?” 

The man stood, silver haired with stubble dotting his cheeks and chin. He had a roguish smile, and reached out to shake Rey’s hand. He needed no introduction, Rey recognized him immediately from the photos Ben had showed her the night before. 

“Yeah, of course.” She smiled, thankful for the interruption. “Mr. Solo, pleasure to meet you”

“Ah, call me Han.” He shook her hand firmly, clasping his other hand on Ben’s shoulder. 

Lando was unimpressed by the interruption, “So, how does it feel to be defending a crook like that?”

“Well I-” Rey stammered, glazing towards Ben again for help. Han beat him to it. 

“You know what, Calrissian? Why don’t you get yourself some eggnog.” Han smiled wryly, looping an arm around his friend’s shoulders, giving him a push towards the side table. He threw a look over his shoulder. 

“Don’t worry about him, Lando just comes for the food.” 

After a moment, Han broke away to join them again, “So uh, listen, what kind of cases do you do? Fraud, extortion…?”

Rey blinked, smiling brightly, “Uh, yeah, I uh, do all of those.”

Ben rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, eager to get away from the topic, “Come on dad, leave poor Bazine alone. She spends enough time at the office as is.” 

"Yeah,” Rey added, “Uh, doing all that lawyer-ing!”

Ben steered her away, towards the refreshment table, grateful that Lando had grabbed a drink and left already. Rey moaned quietly, wiping a hand over her forehead.

“Ugh sorry, I didn’t think anyone was actually going to ask me about a case.” She murmured, grabbing for the punch ladle, hand shaking slightly with nerves. 

“No, don’t let them bother you. You did great. Thank you.” Ben reached to help her, covering her hand with his to help her pour a healthy-sized glass. They both chugged down their punch, grateful for the hint of alcohol in it. 

Leia had chosen that moment to walk to the center of the room, clearing her throat to get everyone’s attention. In a loud, clear voice she announced, “Ok everybody, it’s time to show off the engagement ring!”

Over their glasses, Rey and Ben’s eyes met. The color drained from his face as he realized their - well, _his_ really - mistake. He almost laughed as the pieces clicked into place, that was what he had forgotten. The goddamn engagement ring.

“Wait until you see the beauty, my son has great taste.” Leia was approaching them, manicured fingers reaching for Rey’s hand. Rey shot him one more terrified look, but Ben was frozen in place. 

“Well, I, uh…” Rey and Ben were both stammering, but his mother’s eyes had already dropped to her bare fingers. 

“Honey, where is the ring?” Leia’s eyes bounced from Rey’s fingers to her face, expectant. Ben barely resisted the urge to hide his face in his hands.

“That’s a uh - funny story.” Rey blinked, and then looked at Ben. She reached down and squeezed his hand and he got the message - _follow my lead._

“Well, Ben did buy me a ring,” Rey began, “A really nice one. But you know Ben… he never likes to ask for help.” 

She laughed knowingly, flashing Ben a smile. He grumbled, shoving his other hand in his pockets, only half-acting. 

“And when I first saw the ring, it was great.” Rey gushed, “But I don’t think it’s _me_. I left it at home because I thought - we thought… well, Ben was going to ask...”

She glanced up at Ben, trying to gauge his reaction as she spoke, “If there was something from his Grandmother that I could wear.”

“I’m sorry for asking like this, in front of everyone, we were going to make it a surprise.” Rey finished in a rush, cheeks blazing with embarrassment.

There was a long pause, and then Leia wailed, throwing her arms around Rey. 

“Oh you sweet, sweet girl.” She sniffed, “I have never been more happy. Of course you can - I just never thought that Ben - ”

Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, “-I never thought that Ben would be interested. He never told us he was going to propose, so we didn’t get to ask.”

Ben was stunned, staring at Rey as if he had never met her before. This was the one response that could have gotten his mother off their backs about the ring, and she pulled it off spectacularly. 

Part of him was shocked for another reason - he had wanted to do this exact thing. He had wanted to give Bazine - the real one - a ring that had been his Grandmother's. When he had brought it up, those few months ago, she had turned up her nose at something that she had deemed “secondhand”, and he had promptly forgotten all about it.

The evening wrapped up soon after, and then everyone was shaking hands and hugging. Ben was clapped on the back more than once, and they all had a smile and a kind word for Rey. Leia stayed at the door for a long time, waving and chatting until the last person was out the door. 

Rey and Ben had collapsed, exhausted, in the long sofa in the living room. Before they could move, Leia was in the room, and clapped her hands in delight.

“Are you ready for a family picture?” She didn’t wait for their answer, and was already calling for Han to set up the tripod.

“No - Mom - we are exhausted.” Ben pleaded, trying to convince his mother. She was not having it.

“Oh _Benjamin_ ,” She snapped, in a way that only a mother could, “You haven’t been home in forever. One photo won’t kill you.”

Ben made an apologetic face at Rey, who simply shrugged before standing, smoothing out her jeans with her hands.

Han was already setting up, and placed the tripod in front of the ornate fireplace. He ushered them to the space in front, Ben stood hesitantly to the side, with Rey squeezed next to his mother. Rey’s arm was already looped around Leia, and she tilted her head to look up at Ben. Before he could move, her arm had settled around his waist, her small hand touching his back. A jolt of electricity shot through him as her hand brushed against him, even through the layers.

“Smile, everyone.” Han hit the timer, and rushed to stand next to his wife. A red light flashed in warning, and then Ben - despite everything, felt himself smile. 

\-----

They climbed the steps to the upstairs wearily, it was not really that late in the evening, but the drive and socialization had both of them stifling yawns. Leia was walking ahead of them, pointing rooms out to Rey as they went.

“Don’t worry about it Mom, I can show Rey to her room.” Ben began, reaching for one of the side rooms.

“Oh honey, we turned that room into a study! Didn’t you see it last time?” Leia threw an incredulous look over his shoulder. “Besides, don’t be silly, we’re not _that_ old fashioned. You are _engaged_ , after all.”

She threw open the last door with a flourish, before stepping inside. Ben followed, hesitantly. Not a thing had changed since his teenage years in this house, other than the bedspread. His mother had replaced the black and red bedding with gray, probably her idea of brightening up the room.

Rey followed both of them hesitantly into the room, eyes bouncing around the decorations before landing on the california queen-sized bed. Her eyes then landed on Ben, questioning.

“We uh, got it from here, Mom.” Ben was already ushering her out the door.

Okay honey, if you need extra pillows or blankets they are down the hall.” 

“Got it - thanks!” He closed the door behind her with an audible click. Turning, he faced Rey with a cringe.

“I’m so sorry.” He began, “I had no idea - I can sleep downstairs.”

Rey was rotating slowly on the spot, taking in the room. The walls were dark, well - everything was dark. Old metal band posters decorated the wall, and there was a door for a small, en suite bathroom tucked off to the side. An old, heavy bookcase and desk sat against the longest wall, and she took a step closer to examine the titles.

“ _1984_ , nice.” She chuckled, sliding her finger carefully along the spine. When he didn’t answer, she turned to face him.

“We’ll figure it out. You can’t sleep downstairs, that would look suspicious.”

He nodded, that made sense. “Well, I can take the floor?”

“For the whole night?” She shook her head. “Look, this bed is decent-sized. You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine. We' adults, it’s really not a big deal.” 

He paused, scanning her eyes as he considered. She seemed well - a little nervous, but he felt that way, too. But she was right, his back would be aching if he spent all weekend on the floor.”

“Okay”, he finally allowed, “A few nights won’t hurt.” 

“And I’m uh, sorry for what I said about the ring.” Rey bit her lip, looking down. “It just came out - I wasn’t sure what to say.”

“Oh, no”, Ben took a step towards her, “That was my fault, I was an idiot for not thinking about that. You did… great.” 

They smiled at each other for a moment. Rey broke away first, clearing her throat and thumbing over her shoulder.

“I’m going to get ready for bed.” She grabbed her bag, toting it with her into the bathroom. 

Ben glanced around his old room as the bathroom door closed. It really had not changed much, something that both vexed and pleased him. He was a different person now, different than the angry young man he used to be. He didn’t want to be faced with reminders, but part of him, a small part, was grateful that he still had a home here. 

He was thumbing through an old CD collection when Rey opened the door. Her hair was pulled up and she was fresh-faced, clad in a long Jakku High t-shirt with cotton shorts peeking out from the hem. She shot him a tentative smile, before setting her bag down and clambering onto her side of the bed. 

Ben excused himself to the bathroom next, bringing his toiletries. He thanked the Maker that he had packed extra clothes - at home he did not wear a lot to bed, maybe boxers and a shirt if he was feeling chilly. Rey might be polite enough to put up with this bed-sharing bullshit, but he didn’t want to subject her to anything else. She’d probably be in the next taxi home before he could blink.

When he exited, she had the lights dimmed, and all he could see was a lump curled up on the right side of the bed. The left side of the bed sagged as he sat on the edge, flicking the lights off as he tried to slide underneath the covers without waking her up. He lay stiff as a board on his side, trying his best not to let his frame invade her designated side. He sighed quietly - this would probably be a long night.

\-----

Ben blinked blearily, woken up by the creak of the bathroom door, a sliver of light pouring across the mattress as the light flicked on. He heard a voice, low and quiet, coming from behind the mostly-closed door.

“Hey, it’s Rey. Sorry for calling so late, it’s uh, nothing important. Just wanted to let you know I lucked into tickets to Naboo. I thought maybe you’d want to go? We haven’t been since - well, you know. Call me, ok? Happy Thanksgiving.”

He heard a long sigh, and the brush of her hand rubbing across her forehead. Ben feigned sleep as the light clicked off and the door opened. Rey padded silently back to bed, slipping beneath the covers. He was so tired that he was already drifting off, his final thoughts a swirl of half-formed questions - who was Rey calling this late at night?

\-----

**Thursday, November 26th**

Ben slept solidly the rest of the night, sleep peppered with glimpses of dreams he only half-remembered the next morning. He dreamed he was sleeping by a fire, his broad back warmed by a comforting heat. He dreamed of friendly, brown, eyes with flecks of honey scattered throughout them. And then he dreamed of rain, of a long walk home through empty city streets.

He woke the next morning with a gasp, his brain taking a moment to adjust where he was - this was not his apartment. Oh, that’s right - _Rey_. _Thanksgiving. Home_. He had rolled over in the night, and had gravitated towards the middle of the bed. The right side of the bed was neatly made, and he glanced at the clock. It was mid-morning, why had she not woken him up?

Ben dressed in a hurry, pulling on dark jeans and a maroon, crew-neck sweater. In the kitchen, his mother was loading dishes into their dishwasher, and she pointed towards a stack of muffins that had been left out.

“Good Morning,” He dropped a quick peck on his mother’s cheek. “Have you seen Bazine?”

“Yes honey. We didn't want to wake you up - she’s outside with your father.” 

Ben stood next to Leia in front of the kitchen window, peering into the backyard. She was right, he could see Rey talking and smiling at Han, who was rigging up a metal container on an old chair, and a long piece of rope wrapped around the old Oak tree that took up the middle of the yard.

Before he could ask, Leia was filling him in with a sigh, “Han has it in his head that he’s going to deep-fry the turkey this year.”

He glanced down at his petite mother, “Oh, boy.”

Before he could head outside to help, Leia gripped his arm with a force that surprised him.

“Ben.” He recognized that tone, and inwardly cringed. It was the ‘ _you’re keeping something from me_ ’ voice. He held his breath.

“ _Please_ tell me you’ve set a wedding date.” The air exhaled from his lungs in relief.

She looked up at him, hand still grasping his arm, “I have been completely deprived of everything so far. Can’t you understand a mother wants to plan her son’s wedding? You’re all I have.” 

The way she is looking at him, so expectant and hopeful, had Ben thrown off. Before he could stop himself, he heard the words tumbling from his lips.

“J-January 2nd. We were… we were going to tell you at dinner.” 

“Oh Benjamin.” His mother’s eyes were glossy, “Oh that’s wonderful. Kind of soon, but that’s fine! My darling son.”

He’s smothered in her embrace, craning down so that she can wrap her arms around his neck and plant a kiss on his forehead. Internally, he is screaming - how is he going to explain this?

Before he could blink, she has a phone in her hand, “Hello - Amilyn? You’ll never guess…”

\-----

Outside, Rey was watching Han rig up his invention - something he had claimed he watched on Youtube, but had “made his own modifications.”

“So, once we get his baby boiling, you just rig the bird up to the line and just drop it in the oil.” Han mimed the actions, pointing to show how the home-made pulley would work.

“Uh huh.” Rey looked doubtfully up at the rope, but ended up just shrugging her shoulders, “Whatever you say!”

“Alright,” Han bent down to fiddle with the propane tank and the burner. “Let’s fire this bad boy up.” 

They both watched as it clicked to life, and Rey couldn’t help taking a small step back, even though she admired his handiwork. 

After a long pause, Han cocked his head, but did not look at her, “Let me ask you something - have you ever represented a politician?”

Rey glanced up, startled, “U-Uh no, not personally.”

“But you could huh?” Han’s eyes finally met hers, but she could not read them.

“Uh yeah, sure.” She nodded dumbly, not sure what else to say.

“Good to know.” He nodded back, averting his eyes. After a moment, he started to head back to the house.

“Hey, “ Rey called after him, “Don’t you want to wait for the oil to heat up?”

He shook his head, beckoning to her from over his shoulder, “Come on, we’re gonna miss the start of the Podracing. Plus it needs 30 mins to heat up”

“Oh god,” Rey moaned, glancing at the deep fryer before following after him, “Okay.”

\-----

While Leia was on the phone, calling everyone she knew, Ben took the brief reprieve to lock himself in the upstairs bathroom. Furiously, he scrolled through his contacts, before hitting the call button. He held his breath as the line dialed, finally exhaling as it picked up on the fourth ring.

“Poe - it’s me things are not going well at all.” Ben’s voice was low, he flicked on the fan to cover his words, “I just told my mom that Rey and I are getting married in January.”

Poe’s voice was amused, “You’re marrying Rey now? That was quick.”

“No, no, me and Bazine. I just blurted it out.”

“This is nuts, I’m putting you on speaker.” Poe’s voice sounded distant for a moment, “Sorry, working on some sides for Thanksgiving.”

Ben ignored him, “Anyways I was thinking, what if Bazine did get cold feet, and she’s going to come back to me? Because I mean more to her than Coruscant?”

A long, silent pause. He pushed ahead.

“A-and then the wedding’s already planned which is great. Bazine wouldn’t have to do anything. That’s thoughtful, not crazy, right?”

“Oh no, buddy,” Poe’s voice was pitying, “It’s definitely crazy.”

“ _Fuck_.” Ben smoothed a hand across his forehead, looking up, “I know. I know it is. What am I going to do?”

“Just listen to your heart.” Poe advised, “That’s what I would do. Oh, Finn’s back - I gotta go.”

The call ended, and Ben took a few moments to think about how fast this whole thing had spiraled. He had to get his shit together, fast. He stopped by his bedroom on his way downstairs to grab his coat so he could join Rey outside.

Her phone sat on the bedside table, and he grabbed it to bring it to her - she must have left it by mistake. As he picked it up, a message flashed across the screen. Ben knows he shouldn’t look at it, but it’s too late, he’s already read the short message.

Clicking the screen off, he pocketed the phone, taking it downstairs to give to Rey.

\-----

Rey sat anxiously on the couch, knee bouncing as she glanced from the screen to the large clock on the wall. 

“Hey Han,” She said, doing her best to sound neutral, “I think it’s been 30 minutes. Should we go check?”

It’s definitely been more than 30 minutes. 

He glanced at her sideways, “You know, I could use a little legal council for… for a friend.”

Rey blinked, caught off guard, “Oh I’m sure you already have a great lawyer. ”

“Well, what’s better than keeping it in the family?” He studied her for a moment, “Guess I better drop that bird in the oil.”

Han headed towards the garage to get the Turkey out of the freezer. Ben caught up with Rey a moment later as she stood, stretching her legs. He passed her the phone, “Hey, you left this upstairs.”

“Oh, thanks!” She smiled up at him, and then glanced down. She started typing a quick reply, frozen on the spot in concentration.

Ben paused for a moment, licking his lips nervously, “So uh, anything important?”

“Oh uh, no.” She finished the message, sliding it in her pocket, “No, not at all.

They both made their way to the kitchen, and looked out the large bay window to where Han was rigging up the turkey. He fastened it to his home-made pulley, before slowly lowering it into the boiling oil. Smiling, Han glanced their way and shot them both a thumbs-up.

“Huh, “ Rey said, smiling at Ben, “Looks like your dad’s invention actually worked.”

Then, a few things then happened at once. Ben looked down to smile at Rey, who was looking at Han. Her eyes were suddenly wide with fear, and there was a flash of light from outside. By the time Ben looked up, Leia was out the door, fire extinguisher in hand. The pot of oil had lit on fire, flames licking up the rope pulley and smoke pouring from within the chamber. 

Han was beating at the flames with his coat, and then Leia was there, and white foam was spraying across the whole contraption. Rey and Ben were at the door, Rey’s hand covering her mouth. In seconds it was all over, the turkey charred black as coal.

Shrugging, Han glanced at all three of them, “So, uh... Italian?”

**Author's Note:**

>   
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